Untainted
by Fiorella Luciana
Summary: 1896, TYL. Her heart was broken, her soul was lost. Chrome tries her best to live each day and at the same time to piece back her broken self. Trusting someone else with her heart is something she swore she would never do again, yet repeating that mistake seems inevitable when she fell in love. Unwanted. Unneeded. Disposed Off.
1. Chapter 1

Hello there dear Hitman Reborn! fans and readers alike, Fiorella here or you can just call me Fiore~ This is my first fic for this website and for this anime series so I am both nervous/excited on jumping into this pairing since apparently it is very popular (although not so in the actual storyline). Still, I am a huge fan of Chrome/Hibari therefore I hope to you who read my little fic could give me your review and constructive criticism. Both are welcomed, if you please. Therefore without further ado, please enjoy~

* * *

**_Untainted_**

* * *

_Snow fell down little by little as a pair of mother and child walked together down a deserted park. The daughter was holding her mother's hand while staring nonchalantly at the falling snows. An outsider who was watching this would consider the scene as a loving mother bringing her daughter out for a walk around the neighbourhood but in reality it is nothing close to that. The 'bringing her daughter out for a walk' bit is true though but it is not out of love. _

_The harshness of her mother's hand and the vice-like grip was all little six years old Nagi need to know that her mother was angry about something, usually in Nagi's case; everything. _

_Still, little Nagi mustered up the courage to speak, to ask what was bothering her mother. Innocent lilac eyes met with a cold, hard stare and a single sentence was uttered, forever changed little Nagi's world. _

"_I wish you weren't born." _

* * *

"_Hah!_" Chrome immediately opened her lone eye and bolted up, panting and sweating heavily.

A dream. It has been many years since Chrome had one and it turns out to be a nightmare. _No, not a nightmare...It was more like a broken memory._ She shook her head and wiped the few trickles of sweat on her face.

Her sight was still hazy as she squinted to see in the dimly-lit room. She was still on her bed, still under her blanket, still in the bare, lonely room. No one was around. Not her mother, not Mukuro-sama, not even Ken and Chikusa. Just her. Alone.

"It's all in the past...nothing to worry about..." She breathed quietly.

Sighing to herself, Chrome's heartbeat finally returned to normal and she turned to look at her alarm clock. _7 o'clock in the morning..._ She had overslept for two hours; no doubt it was that dream's fault. Silently, she got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. A quick shower was what she needed now before her important regular meeting with the other Guardians.

* * *

Ten years. In a blink of an eye everyone had changed, _matured_. Chrome had grown her hair out (although she maintained her short spikes just above her head) and she believed she had at least grown a few more inches in height. Her skinny figure did not change though as she has the habit of skipping meals every day and her skin is as pale as ever, making her look more and more like a sickly ghost.

However more than herself, she thought that Boss was the one who had changed a lot.

The Boss that Chrome had known in her younger years was someone who cares a lot for his family members, who would challenge another _famiglia_ for his friends' sake despite being a coward and a pushover, and most importantly, would blush furiously whenever Chrome kisses (or tries to kiss) him. Now, Sawada Tsunayoshi stands as the head of the Vongola Famiglia, the strongest mafia organization the world had known. A strong, brave and independent man (although he still maintains his quirks despite the maturity ten years had given him).

Still, Chrome's unquestionable reverence for her Boss had not changed, if only it had grown stronger over the years. He had, after all, been the first person other than Mukuro-sama to have accepted her (even, as family) and had put his trust in her when no other would. It is because of her admiration towards the man that, after a couple of months of solitude and keeping her distance from the other family members, Chrome finally relented and agreed to attend the meeting as it had been Boss who had called her.

Chrome sat quietly in the corner of the guest room of the main family mansion, the headquarters of the current Vongola which was situated in Namimori, Japan. Boss had changed the main HQ from Italy to Japan for several purposes; mainly because it is easier for him to do his job in familiar grounds and because the Cloud Guardian refuses to leave Japan (out of his weird obsession for Namimori). Hours passed since she arrived and she merely entertained herself by playing with her illusionary puppets (a hobby she picked up over the years after waiting for Mukuro-sama for so long). Her thoughts however, focussed solely on her strategy on how to avoid conversing with the other family members.

It is not because she dislikes her fellow guardians or anything but it is because she did not know how to mingle with them. Simply put, all those years of living alone after Mukuro-sama had left made Chrome felt unsociable and unneeded. _Unneeded, that's right...just like how her mother did not need her anymore..._

Her gloomy thoughts were interrupted when someone had opened the door. Chrome slowly dissolve her illusions and turned her lone eye towards the door revealing the Rain Guardian. Yamamoto Takeshi peered into the room and his eyes fell upon the Mist Guardian. A natural smile crept up and although the years had made his features more mature than he ever was, that smile still makes him look like the young boy he was ten years ago.

Chrome could not help but to smile a little back at the man as he made his way towards her. The rain Guardian propped himself on the sofa next to her, the smile hadn't left his face.

"Yo Chrome! Looks like we're the first ones to arrive huh?" The Rain Guardian stretched his arms and yawned openly despite the company in the room. Open honesty has always been Yamamoto Takeshi's greatest (In Chrome's opinion) quality. He was not ashamed of what he speaks of or does not feel that he should be embarrassed by simple actions such as yawning widely in public. Some part of Chrome deep down envied the tall man, often wishing she could be as easygoing and energetic as he is.

"I thought I would be the last one here." Chrome answered quietly, her lone eye watching her companion curiously. She had half-expected the rest of the Guardians to have been present and had the meeting ongoing already but much to her surprise she had been informed by Boss that Gokudera Hayato had made a mistake by sending her the wrong time schedule (ironically due to him being out of time to head out on a mission with Boss).

"Really? I thought Tsuna said the meeting starts at 12 o'clock." Yamamoto scratched his head thoughtfully.

"Well apparently the St- Gokudera-san made a mistake." Chrome corrected her way in calling Gokudera's name. After years of mingling with the other Guardians (no matter how few and far between) she had been tutored by her Boss on properly calling the names of her companions instead of giving them nicknames.

"That rarely happens, Gokudera never makes mistakes." Yamamoto grinned at the thought.

"Well he did and I've been waiting for all of you since this morning."

Yamamoto nodded his head in understanding as Chrome shifted her gaze towards her feet, which she suddenly found to be very interesting. She felt awkward, tense but strangely happy on the fact that she managed to hold a decent conversation with another human being. Maybe if she's lucky he'd ask about her well-being or random questions such as-

A loud rumble interrupted her train of thought. A deep, red blush suddenly crept up her face at an exceedingly fast rate as she pressed her tummy_. Oh please God tell me that he didn't hear that-_

"Uh...Chrome?" Yamamoto began quietly. Chrome shuts her lone eye immediately and silently prayed that he would not say what he's about to say to her. "Are you hungry?"

Her eye snapped open and there was no mistaking the huge blush on her face. Yamamoto was taken aback at first but immediately cracked his natural smile as Chrome fidgeted and was absentmindedly twirling her hair wildly.

"W-Well I came here as soon as I woke up a-and I didn't exactly have the time to go out and get breakfast since I thought I'd be late for the meeting if I did and-" She didn't exactly manage to finish her rambling as Yamamoto laughed loudly, his hands clutching his stomach.

Chrome felt a bit put off by his action, a frown slowly forming on her face and puffing her cheeks slightly in a childish manner. The blush hasn't really left her face as she twiddled her fingers together, looking at the ground embarrassedly. "You don't have to laugh..." She mumbled.

Yamamoto was yet again taken back. He felt his own face warm up as the girl in front him pouted. To him her actions were very adorable and he had never seen the female Mist Guardian actually reacted to his laughter before (in reality he barely even seen the girl these days). Resisting the sudden urge to pin her down and do inappropriate things, Yamamoto hastily tried to clear his mind and hid his own blush before she could see it.

"S-Sorry I didn't mean any harm by it though! Really, I didn't!" He added the last part in after she turned her eye to look at him, a look of disbelief etched on her face. His laughter died out quickly as a drop of sweat ran down his face, fearing that he might have made the girl mad.

Chrome sighed. She really needed to work on her people skills seeing as she even made the bubbly Yamamoto feel awkward around her. She had meant to give him a questioning look but judging from his reaction she had made him nervous instead. It didn't help matter too that her stomach rumbled again. This time she quickly pressed it with both hands, wanting to stop the horrifying noise it was making.

"You know what, it so happens we still have some time until the meeting starts."

Yamamoto stood up, patting the back of his black suit as he did so. He eyed Chrome thoughtfully for a moment before offering his hand to the girl.

"Eh?"

She looked up to meet Yamamoto's eyes, unsure of what he wanted her to do.

"C'mon, I know a great restaurant close by that makes a mean breakfast, I mean brunch, what time is it again? Ah who cares, let's just go!"

Again, Chrome couldn't help but be reminded of the younger Yamamoto, childish and innocent, as he seemed to be bobbing on the spot waiting for her to accept his invitation.

"Are you sure it's okay? Boss will arrive anytime now..."

She was tempted to go with him but on the other hand she didn't want to disappoint Boss by being late on purpose.

"I can give you a very accurate prediction now that the meeting would start very late due to a mishap caused by Lambo."

Chrome raised an eyebrow at his statement.

"It happens every time. Trust me."

Yamamoto held his hand out still, waiting patiently for her to take it.

_Trust me_.

Chrome had heard that line many times before in the past.

As Nagi, when he mother uttered those words, then abandoned her to her fate in the hospital.

As Chrome, when Mukuro-sama uttered those words, then abandoned her at his leisure after his release from the Vindice prison.

Yes, Chrome was sceptical and highly doubtful of people who said those words. Her hands started to sweat and her frown deepened, only to disappear when she realized that what Yamamoto meant for was a whole different matter.

Wiping the sweats off quickly, Chrome gave a small smile and lightly placed her hand in his. Rough yet gentle hand wrapped around Chrome's delicate one and she slowly rose from her armchair.

She was slightly surprised by how big his hand was (notably due to the fact that she had not have any skin contact with another human being for so long) and her blush quickly came back as Yamamoto firmly led her out of the room.

Maybe she really does need to work on her social skills.

* * *

Sawada Tsunayoshi pinched the bridge of his nose as he witnessed the scene before him. The 'supposed' meeting room was in a mess and the 'supposed' agenda had been long forgotten. How it had transpired even he was still unsure about it.

He had just arrived to HQ and walked into the meeting room, expecting to see his friends already seated and waiting for him. Instead he found Gokudera, his right-hand man, strangling and muttering curses at his own partner the young Lightning Guardian Lambo.

The room smelt faintly of burnt papers and Tsuna had to guess that Lambo had yet again stole some of Gokudera's cigarettes and apparently tried to lit it in here (the young teenager had taken an interest in that bad habit after watching Gokudera smoking all these years). The old 1900 mahogany tea-table that was set across the room had been Tsuna's favourite, yet it was now broken in half with Lambo presumably had been thrown over it by Gokudera.

To make matters worse Tsuna saw at the corner of his eyes the Cloud Guardian looked like he was ready to kill someone. Hibari Kyouya was twitching (yes, twitching) in his very seat as his lips thinned dangerously for every seconds that passed over the scuffle that is happening. Tsuna saw his hands searching his own pockets (no doubt for his ring and box weapon) and the glare Hibari gave him was enough to send chills down Tsuna's spine.

Thankfully, Tsuna thought, that at least Onii-san was trying to calm the situation down (which does not happen often seeing as he is usually in the heat of the argument, mainly with Gokudera or their allied family Simon's Aoba Koyo). The Sun Guardian Sasagawa Ryohei had tore the two apart and had stretched his arm out to full length in order to keep Gokudera away from reaching Lambo's neck.

It was at this moment Tsuna wondered how Gokudera could stay being Lambo's guardian and partner seeing as he had nothing but criticism and physical abuse waiting for the young Bovinno every time he screwed something up. _Maybe it's the Vongola ring's chemistry...after all the Storm is like a brother to the Lightning. _Tsuna thought absentmindedly as he allowed Onii-san to lecture the two Guardians and his eyes wandered around the room.

He noted that a few people were missing. Rokudo Mukuro, granted, had not yet returned from his mission in Italy with the former Arcobaleno (Seven strongest babies in the world) Verde. Instead, his young protégé and the Varia's newest member Fran had taken his place to relay any information to his master.

The young boy seemed disconnected from the happenings inside the room as he was looking outside the window while spinning on the turning office chair he had apparently conjured up. Tsuna could see his lips moving but he was not facing anyone nor was his voice audible enough for any person in the room to hear. It was then that Tsuna decided to leave the boy be, for fear of his answer should someone ask about it.

Other than Mukuro, it seems that the only other people missing are-

"See? Told you they haven't started yet."

The Rain Guardian entered the room lazily accompanied by the female Mist Guardian. Yamamoto stopped in his track to look at the apparently crazy scene and merely gave a short bark of a laugh while Chrome looked quite surprised (and a little bit scared, Tsuna thought) as she shifted slightly behind Yamamoto.

"I take it we came just in time?" Yamamoto grinned at Tsuna.

Tsuna could only manage a wry smile as he nodded and gave a short, yet audible, cough. The room instantly quieted down as everyone turned to look at him.

Gokudera made a panicked look and immediately pulled Lambo to his feet, then forcefully pushed the boy into his seat. He then quickly disposed of the burnt papers by throwing them outside of the window (he'll have to pick those up later) and made a beeline towards his own seat right next to Tsuna's.

Chrome felt slightly awed at the power her Boss apparently possesses over his Guardians. She noted that other than Hibari-san, the others seemed to show a lot of respect towards him. Even Fran had stopped spinning in his chair and gave his fullest attention.

"J-Juudaime! I apologize that you have to bear witness to such a shameful scene! It was supposed to be my job to get this meeting ready but I had failed to do so!"

Gokudera-san bowed shortly in his seat, unable to look at Boss in the eyes. Chrome had noted his habit of always wanting the best for Boss, and his devotion for the man is something else entirely.

She watched quietly as Boss waved his hands and saying "It's okay" while Lambo mumbled something about "nearly suffocated..." which earned him another death glare by Gokudera-san.

Chrome kept quiet while stealthily made her way to her seat in between of Fran and Lambo, not wanting to attract any attention of the other Guardians. However, her plan failed when she accidentally made eye contact with the Cloud Guardian.

The male stared coldly at her, making Chrome shiver inwardly. Maybe he saw something of Mukuro-sama in her as his eyebrows twitched repeatedly every time she blinked. He still held the grudge of ten years ago for losing to the famed illusionist and having Chrome in the same room as Hibari is probably too much for him. His eyes did not leave her until Fran jumped up and gave her a big hug.

"It's been so long Chrome-san."

The boy had more power than she thought as he lifted her up. Chrome gave a small smile as she patted his frog-shaped hat.

Even after splitting up with the Kokuyo Gang she had managed to befriend the young boy. She happened to bump into him in Kokuyo Land one day when she visited Ken and Chikusa (although Mukuro-sama was there at the time she did not want meet him due to a certain complicated rason). While strolling inside her former home Chrome had been knocked down by a sudden tackle (that was actually Fran making himself invisible and running away from Mukuro-sama).

Out of courtesy and knowing full well what her former saviour and idol could do to the poor boy she had hidden him with her illusion. Both their powers combined had covered his presence completely that it still surprises Chrome until this very day on how powerful Fran could be if he mastered his ability (Mukuro-sama had been circling the base for hours not knowing that Fran was just laying down on the sofa right in front of his eyes). Later on he took a great liking to her and often ran to stay at her apartment whenever Mukuro-sama blew his top over Fran's pranks.

Chrome appreciated the company but having Fran around meant that she was constantly reminded on how her former master favours him more than her. It pains Chrome to think about it as she too took a great liking to Fran. After many months of crashing at Chrome's place did Fran finally understood her feelings and out of respect, only visited once in a while to check up on her.

"It has hasn't it? How are you Fran?" Chrome asked in a barely audible voice (probably because she had the winds knocked out of her from the hug).

"Hmm it's okay. At least Master Pineapple-head isn't around to stab my head with his pitchfork today."

Ah. She had forgotten that Mukuro-sama was absent today (something about a mission in Italy involving rival Families). She felt a strange mixture of disappointment and relief.

"I see...so you're representing him?"

She felt her heart grew heavy at the thought. Fran being Mukuro-sama's _favoured _representative, not her.

"We _both _are, don't you know what this meeting's agenda is?"

Chrome shook her head and Fran merely looked at her curiously. Their conversation though ended when Boss gave another audible cough, signalling for their attention again. The Guardians present turned their heads to look at him, looking extremely serious (even Yamamoto-san).

Boss watched us quietly for awhile before nodding at Gokudera-san, who stood up and handed each of them what was left of the papers that had earlier caught fire. He then resumed his own seat (not before smacking Lambo's head, probably for his mishap again).

"Well, now that all of us are here-"

"The damned illusionist is absent."

Hibari-san voiced out, his eyes were not looking at Boss but at her. Chrome felt the chills coming back as his eyes seems to burn a hole on her face. Timidly she quickly made a pleading look at Boss, hoping that he could save her. Yes, she was officially scared of the Cloud Guardian.

Thankfully Boss seemed to have caught on and quickly came to her rescue.

"Mukuro-san is currently in Italy. Verde-san had requested for his help on a certain mission that requires the expertise of a master illusionist. Therefore Chrome and Fran-kun is here as his representatives."

"So he sent his useless student to skip this herbivore gathering, but what use is the broken puppet? I thought he had thrown her away a long time ago?"

Chrome felt her heart sinking further and if it was possible, imaginary knives stabbed her all over. _Broken puppet_. She thought it was a fitting title for her. Her eye started to tear up as she hung her head low. He had a point, why is she here in the first place? Fran was more than enough and officially has more eligibility to represent Mukuro-sama. Why bother calling for her? She was nowhere near Mukuro-sama _or _Fran's level and Hibari-san had made it clear she was not needed here.

Yamamoto, who had been sitting quietly for awhile now, saw the downcast expression of Chrome and frowned at Hibari.

"That's going a bit too far isn't it Hibari? After all Tsuna did invite her and she is _still _one-half of the Mist Guardian."

Hibari made a noncommittal shrug and tore his eyes away from the female Guardian.

"She's taking up space. I hate _crowding_. Besides I don't think she's strong enough to replace the damned illusionist let alone his failure of a student here."

Yamamoto merely sighed then turned his eyes again towards Chrome. Tears were streaming down her face silently but only he and Hibari could see it (as she sat at the far corner of the table and he was sitting next to Hibari, opposite of her). He felt the need to cheer her up but it would be improper to stand up and interrupt the meeting just to console her. Besides, he wouldn't want to draw attention to the female seeing as the others had resumed the meeting as if Hibari had not made the comment at all (something about a reconnaissance mission on a rival family).

Hibari though, could not understand the reasoning of the Rain Guardian. He had only stated out facts (albeit a bit rough) and really did not see the point of the female's presence at all. If anything, it made him even more distracted.

Coming to the meeting (or in his mind, herbivore gathering) had already caused a huge amount of annoyance to the Foundation leader. As if to further test the limits of his patience, two of the herbivores had started some sort of commotion that is clearly against Namimori set rules and regulations. Finally what had got him was the sudden appearance of Chrome Dokuro.

Truth be told he had no interest in the female (other than the fact that she was once Rokudo Mukuro's favourite toy). It had been months, perhaps close to a year, since he last saw her and the two's schedule and mission were often different. His was focused mainly on desecrating and destroying enemies openly as hers was more on infiltrations and spying.

Neither harbouring the thought nor feelings of concern for the female before, why was he now so bothered with just her presence? Her scent too, had become entirely different. It used to have the same smell of Mukuro (which had irked him to no end), now she smelled of lilacs and completely devoid of Mukuro.

He felt at ease and at the same time annoyed by it. No, feelings are for _herbivores_. He has no time to entertain such measly activities such as pursuing female companionship. It is utterly ridiculous and shows many signs of weaknesses.

So instead, he decided to put her down. It enables him to suppress his preposterous urges of biting the female and at the same time focus on his hatred for Rokudo Mukuro.

"Boss..."

Chrome's voice was more like a squeak, perhaps due to the emotional instability she is in right now.

"If I'm not needed here than I might as well go...I don't think I can be of use to you since Fran is here..."

_Broken. Unneeded. Replaced. Thrown away._

She couldn't bear to think of such a thing but at least she and Hibari-san were on the same page that she could not measure up to Mukuro-sama's level (or even Fran's at that). She stood up and was getting ready to leave when –

"Actually I do need you Chrome."

Deadened eye was suddenly filled with a small ray of hope. Confusion stirred inside of her yet she remained quiet. Her hand was still on the doorknob as she looked at her Boss.

He was smiling as he rummaged through the papers. As he found what he was looking for, he quickly whispered something to Gokudera-san (whose eyebrows rose in surprise but he nodded anyways). He then turned back to Chrome.

"There has been recent reports that a certain Famiglia had arrived in Japan a couple of days ago under Verde-san's surveillance. We believed it is the same family that Mukuro-san had been asked to investigate together with Verde-san."

Boss paused for a moment I nodded is response, showing that I was keeping up with him.

"Well the thing is some of them managed to give Mukuro-san the slip back in Venice and he err...has a bit of trouble getting back here on time and seeing as it was only a small group that had escaped him, he felt it was unnecessary for him to handle it alone and requested for help."

Chrome's eye lingers for a moment at Fran. Perhaps Boss had noticed her gaze and added, "No, Fran is here for another matter. Actually...he requested for you."

Light. Her heart felt warmer, full of hope. She could feel it pounding wildly inside her chest as she inhaled sharply. _Mukuro-sama had requested for my help..._

Whatever feeling of happiness or how excited she was at the request made by her former master Chrome did not show it outwardly. Instead she merely nodded, wiping the last few teardrops on her face and sat back down.

"What do I have to do?"

"Just surveillance and of course we need you to track them down first. We know they are already in Japan but we believed their reason for being here is related to the Vongola so we'd expect to see them in Namimori soon."

Boss beckoned for her to come closer, and so she did. She stood up and slowly made her way to Boss (The Cloud had started glaring at her again). He handed her a thin file which she took and held it firmly in her left hand.

"That contains everything you need to know; the family's history, known members, activities and such."

Chrome nodded her head, gripping the file tighter as if she feared it would suddenly disappear from her.

"Boss...what's the name of this enemy family though?"

She had to ask. Gokudera-san made a snorting noise telling her that Boss must have said it when the meeting had just began and she was clearly not paying attention (too busy pitying herself). She blushed at her own ignorance but Boss shook his head and gave her a kind smile.

"The _Pentiti _Famiglia. We have very little intelligence on them hence the lack of important details we could give you." He pointed at the file she was holding. "That's why we are sending you to gain more knowledge on them."

"An odd name for a family..." Chrome mused as she brushed her hair away from her lone eye. Boss nodded his head as his fingers intertwined in front of him, deep in thought.

"_Those that have repented_. Well...details are sketchy so...all the best? But Chrome," Tsuna gave her a piercing stare. "I don't want you to do anything dangerous or put yourself at risk in any situation. Retreat is sometime the best option."

He studied the female from top to bottom. She looked pale and as always, sickly. His instincts to protect her not as her superior, but as a brother and a friend came in full-throttle. He had disagreed with Mukuro's suggestion of using Chrome as a spy in this mission. Granted it was merely to study the enemy family but Tsuna had an uneasy feeling that it would not be as simple as that. Finally he was forced to submit as Gokudera had pointed out that none of the other Guardians were free, and that as one-half of the Mist Guardian Chrome was more than fit for this covert mission. Still, he disapproves of putting her in any risks (heck he was still worrying about having Lambo fighting in the front lines these days).

"Don't worry Boss, I'll stay in the shadows. If anything goes wrong I'm sure I'll be able to pull through...hopefully."

Her response only increases Tsuna's worry. He watched as she bowed slightly and made her way out of the meeting room. He did not miss Hibari-san's glare at the girl however, his eyes following after her figure even when she already left. Perhaps he needs to consider a safety measure for Chrome...just in case.

* * *

Only when she had left the mansion did she let go of the breath she had unconsciously held. Her heart was still beating madly but her face was calm as ever, keeping a poker face was a trademark of hers on duty. So Mukuro-sama had asked for her specifically...

Her blush though, needs some working on. She closed her eye for a moment, feeling the slight breeze in the air blew her hair gently. Thinking back, the meeting had not been that bad (well, maybe Hibari-san could have been a bit nicer...) and she had made some progress with Yamamoto-san. Their friendship level had somewhat improved and that thought puts a smile on her face.

That giddy feeling however, was short-lived. Chrome felt a sudden chill down her spine and her self-preservation instincts immediately perked up. It was a heavy, ominous feeling to the point that she felt the very aura is set to kill her. Panicking slightly as if a helpless animal preyed upon by a predator, she looked around to identify what had caused her the uneasiness.

Lone eye trailed back to the Vongola mansion and there he stood. Behind a glassed window on the second floor was Hibari Kyoya. The breeze did not feel as gentle nor did the sun feel as warm as their eyes locked on each other.

Chrome did not know what she did wrong but she could feel the murderous intent of Hibari-san from far away. The feeling of dread increased as he continued to only glare at her, neither blinking nor moving. She gulped nervously as she made some sort of recognition to the man, but he did not respond to her bow. She had to tear her eye away from his and as quickly as she could, she scampered off to the safety of a nearby park.

Any illusions of befriending him was immediately squashed for Chrome understood it all too well. The feeling of being unwanted, unneeded and of being disposed off after usage. She was fearful of Hibari Kyoya.

* * *

_And so little Nagi let go of her mother's hand, not feeling the warmth it had provided just a second ago. She was not as little as her mother thought, understanding the meaning behind her words._

_A slip of the tongue. A moment of carelessness. Time that can never be taken back. _

_Her mother looked appalled, realizing what she had just said to her daughter._

_Too late. A life shattered forevermore. _


	2. Chapter 2

__Thank you for the kind reviews dear readers, it made me quite happy that you thought the characters are 'in' character rather than 'out' of character (OOC). Well the story is only in it's early stages so no romance between Hibari and Chrome yet, but there might be a slight hint by someone else! I would not want to say more and let you enjoy the second chapter of Untainted. Please do review what you think and if it's good, please tell other fans to read it as well :) Cheers.

* * *

Chapter 2: Laundry and Old Friends

* * *

_Little Nagi loved dolls. The way she was able to twist its limbs and make them bend to her will. She had absolute control over them. That is why she hated people, annoyed by the fact that they won't do as they're told. No matter how hard she tried, her mother would never kiss her again._

_Eight year-old Nagi loved dolls. They kept her company through thick or thin, enveloping her in a comfortable silence. Best of all, she had make-believe friends that do not tease or bully her. That is why she hated people, whom would ostracize her from their group and call her a freak. No matter how hard she tried, her friends would never accept her._

_Twelve year-old Nagi loved dolls. Even if their faces are already broken or the paint had dulled, she loved them still. They would never talk back or hurt her, even to the point that she deluded herself they would agree to everything that she said. That is why she hated people, who would break heart and make her skin turn black and blue. No matter how hard she tried, her step-father would never stop beating her._

* * *

The meeting that had transpired yesterday gave some sort of renewed hope in Chrome. She felt it was necessary to do an extremely good job in order to receive Boss's as well as the other Guardians' acknowledgment. In a way, she wanted to be accepted (and respected, if she so dared ask for it) by her fellow peers.

So when Chrome woke up drenched in her own sweat, horribly woken up by another nightmare, she knew it was going to be yet another dreary day.

Her damaged eye was throbbing painfully, causing Chrome to wince as she gently rubbed the said area. She then noticed that her nightgown was soaked with her sweat and that reminded her of the laundry that had piled up over the week. She had put off doing her chores for so long that it had finally caught up to her.

Sighing, Chrome removed the thin blanket over her and shed her clothing as she made her way to the bathroom. The Pentiti Famiglia can wait. First she needs to get some clean clothes or else she has to start sleeping naked from that day onwards.

XXX

Dressed in a small spaghetti tank-top and mini-shorts, Chrome exited her apartment with a basket-full of laundry that needed to be done. She walked passed the suburban area of Namimori, walking quietly by several housewives who gave her odd looks and a few high-school students who wolf-whistled, making her blush furiously and them tripping over their own feet. Her trip brought her to a familiar place and as the school came to her view, she had to stop for awhile.

Namimori Middle School still looked the same as ever (no surprises there, considering the fact that Hibari-san practically pays for every bit of renovations and reconstructions). Nostalgic memories flooded in her mind, warming her very body as she remembered the innocent, everyday life as a student there.

She remembered how Kyoko would hang out together with her every day despite how different society viewed them. How Boss would panic and turn red whenever she kisses him as a greeting every morning. There was also that one time that Yamamoto had all of them join in a match against their school's very own baseball team. All wonderful memories, yet she knew better than to dwell in the past. However it did help to alleviate her mood and as she passed the school gate, she was whistling the school song.

* * *

The Laundromat was empty as she walked in. It was in the middle of town and Chrome was quite used to walking there several times. She bowed slightly at the cashier (a sturdy, aged lady) and got a grunt for a response as she made her way to the machines. She puts her laundry basket on an empty chair and chose the first washing machine near to the window. Rummaging through her pocket, she placed a few coins on top of the machine and turned to take her clothes. The process ended shortly as she then sat quietly in front of the machine, watching it spun round and round.

"Chrome-chan!"

Chrome jerked and nearly fell from her sit. She then felt a light push from the back and two arms wrapped themselves around her neck. She felt no ill intentions from this gesture and tilted her slightly upwards, recognizing the hugger in an instant.

"Kyoko-san..."

Sasagawa Kyoko was giggling happily as she hugged her long time friend. Chrome welcomed the hug as she smiled back at the girl. Kyoko brushed a strand of hair aside as she released Chrome from the hug. Chrome stood up and gave an awkward sort of hug back (it just seemed right since Kyoko-san had hugged her first) that she was glad Kyoko had accepted it at all.

"It's been ages since I last saw you! Where've you been hiding all these while? Did Tsuna-kun send you out on dangerous missions again? Honestly I should have a word with him, he needs to start taking better care of you. Being around men all the time isn't really helping either since they're really dense and-" Kyoko mumbled continuously to herself, her previous questions forgotten.

Chrome though, was used to being bombarded with questions by Kyoko. The girl turns from a close friend into an overprotective mother in a second if it involves Chrome._ Used to it, yes. Wanted it, hmm I need to think about that later..._

"No, Boss has been very kind to me." She shook her head and smiled to the brown-haired girl. It was true, as she had never once been manhandled or in some workplace cases, sexually harassed (it was the other way around actually, seeing as she tries and fails to kiss her beloved Boss every time she sees him).

Kyoko still looked at her worriedly but then shrugs it off and gave a satisfied smile. "That's good to hear. I know that Tsuna-kun is a very kind man, but I can't help worrying about you Chrome-chan!" She then frowned at the one-eyed girl as she studied her from top to bottom (reminding Chrome yet again of an overprotective mother).

"Uh..." Chrome look at the other girl curiously, waiting to hear what she has to say.

"You look so thin! See!" Kyoko pinched Chrome's cheeks. "It's all skin and bones! When was the last time you had a decent meal? Are you still just eating sweets and snacks instead of a proper meal? You know that too much sugar is not good for your health..."

Chrome flustered as she was lectured by Kyoko. She could not rebut a single thing the woman had said as she knew that her body lacked nutrients (and does nothing about it seeing as she only has herself to look after) and the proper nourishment needed for a healthy body. All she could manage was "I'm sorry" and "Will try to eat more cereals in the morning" and nodding apologetically numerous times over her friend's concern.

Kyoko's eyes softened as the girl looked like she was about to faint at any moment. She was indeed worried for her friend here, and perhaps that worry might have escalated from the state Chrome had shown to her. Before she could say anything else however, Kyoko's eyes saw another figure approach them at a swift speed.

"Hahi! Chrome-chan!"

As if time repeated itself again (although slightly altered), Chrome was hugged from the front by a certain Miura Haru. The brunette was practically shining with rays of happiness as she took Chrome's hands into hers and shook it vigorously.

"It's been so long! Haru had missed you!" Haru wailed, still shaking her hands.

Chrome was perplexed as she gave a crooked sort of smile to Haru. Like Kyoko, Haru was one of the few female friends that Chrome trusts (the list was very short) and often, though very rarely, she would confide in of her worries (like for example, her relationship problems with a certain dynamite, trigger-happy man).

"Hahi! You're so skinny! What happened to you?" Haru squeezed one of Chrome's arms gently, gauging the amount of actual meat beneath the skin. She was surprised by Chrome's reaction of pulling her arm quickly away as she had only pinched her lightly. The spot that had been pinched turned slightly purplish and Haru gasped. How sensitive was Chrome's skin actually?

"I...think I'm doing alright?" Chrome hesitated. She did not want to worry her friends that the only decent meal she ever had for the past few months was yesterday (Yamamoto-san was very generous to have treated me for a meal...). She failed to notice however, Haru's eyes watching her arm as she rubbed it absentmindedly.

Kyoko and Haru looked at each other and then both girls frowned at her.

"No you're not!"

"You're definitely going to get sick _desu_!"

Chrome could only sigh as the two girls continued to lecture her on having proper meals and eating on time. Chrome was properly groomed by her mother back when she was a little girl on etiquettes and such and she still retained some of her old habits. However the years haven't been kind to her as she was on covert missions a lot, meaning that she would spend days on lookout in some shady bar or even the forest. She survived most of the time on food scraps, canned food and on extreme conditions, even the non-poisonous plants would be her dinner. So the idea of a full course meal (which usually includes rice, side dishes and perhaps even ice-cream?) is preposterous, even luxurious, to Chrome.

"I'll make do with what I have at home, so you two don't have to worry about it. After all, Kyoko-san had told me on the necessities of proper nourishment." She replied with a small smile. She could not help but feel slightly happy by how concerned her friends are over her well-being.

"Eeeh are you sure Chrome-chan? Haru thinks you're going to fall sick any time soon though." Haru looked unconvinced.

Truth be told Chrome's refrigerator had been empty save for a couple of alcohols and leftover curry from when Fran had previously visited. _Maybe it's best if they don't find out about that..._

"Nope, I'm not buying that story. Chrome-chan we're going grocery shopping after this." Kyoko had seen through that lie of course.

"Um, but I'm still doing laundry and...Boss is expecting me after this." She lied. Chrome was glad, really, that her friends are doing her this favour but she felt overwhelmed. She did not want her friends to think that she needs someone to look after her. She is a big girl now, she can handle herself.

Kyoko gave her a curious look, as if ascertaining what Chrome had said was a lie or not, then nodded her head. "That's too bad then, perhaps we can make a date some other day?"

Chrome inwardly let out a sigh of relief, glad that her friend does have a certain amount of trust in her.

Haru clapped her hands together and squealed. "That's a great idea Kyoko-chan! We can go have some cakes and invite Bianchi-san and I-pin-chan." The girl absentmindedly counted the number of cakes she was going to order while Kyoko giggled at the girl's action.

"Cake is nice. I'd like the sweetest one if possible." Chrome agreed, her head now filled with cakes of assorted flavours. No matter how far off the grid she may be on this planet she could not contain her sweet tooth desire, almost like a drug to her.

The two other female's eyes lighted up, delighted on the fact that their friend was interested in the idea. They then chattered animatedly on the time and venue, to which Chrome promised to attend if she does not wish for a terrible punishment otherwise.

After her laundry was washed and dried Chrome bid farewell to Kyoko and Haru, then set off back to her apartment. She continued to hum as she walked by the school again, this time a little bit louder and clearer as she was in a good mood.

Again, she stopped for awhile in front of the gates, admiring the nostalgic view of the education establishment she had once attended. Her eye wandered around the windows and even to the roof, where she dully remembered that was the favourite hangout spot of –

"Hnn, what do you think you're doing here herbivore?"

She nearly screamed by the sudden surprise (her laundry basket had fallen to the ground with a dull 'thud!'). It was an all too familiar voice and Chrome was shaking slightly as she turned around. She failed to notice a black local Honda car had stopped a few centimetres behind her and also, failed to notice the carnivorous aura the man inside the car had emitted. Sweating slightly (it had been chilly just a second ago), Chrome gazed upon a very angry-looking (pissed-off is the right word to use ehre) Hibari Kyoya.

"Clou- H-Hibari-san." She squeaked.

The Cloud Guardian narrowed his eyes dangerously at the mention of his name. Like a hungry wolf, he was eyeing the female with such intensity that she could not help but retreat away from his gaze. Trying to control his (unnecessary) anger, he clamped his mouth shut for once and made a jerking sort of motion at the female, beckoning her to get into the car.

Chrome however was just standing there, afraid that any sudden movements on her part would incite the wrath of the Cloud Guardian. After all, he was known for his short temper and very, very violent nature. She was literally shaking in her boots.

His left eyebrow twitched, annoyed that the girl did not understand his gesture. Again, he shook his head to signal the girl to get into the car, and again she merely stood there, watching him with one fearful eye and her arms across her chest. His eyes then lingered on the bosoms that she was trying (and failing) to hide. It was then that he realized she was dressed most inappropriately (it was against Namimori rules to wear such skimpy outfit) and for a moment, for just one single short moment, he wanted to rip the top apart and sink his fangs into her mound of flesh. It was appalling, and Hibari was highly disgusted by his stray of thought.

"Get in the car. _Now_." He hissed.

Chrome flinched but immediately complied with his order as she picked up her basket and entered the other door of the rear seat. As she sat on the leather seat she decided to put the basket in-between them so as to not intrude Hibari's space (God knows how that man _cherishes _his private space). However a low growl from that man made her whimper and luckily the driver, which happened to be Kusakabe Tetsuya, took the basket and placed it in the front seat next to him.

Chrome twiddled her fingers nervously as she watched the man eyeing her hungrily, as if she was his lunch for the day. That thought made her gulp, and was reinforced as his frown deepened and the twitching on his eyebrow quickened. She has absolutely no idea what the Cloud Guardian has in store for her, and in her mind it was definitely not going to be good. After the evil stare he had given her the previous day, she was more than willing to risk running away then to sit in the car quietly with him so close to her (and her invading his private space, though he seemed not to mind now). There was an awkward silence in the air as they continued to eye one another, with Chrome not daring to break the ice due to legitimate reasons. But up close to him, she could see the handsome feature of Hibari Kyoya.

The years had done him much good it seems. His hair was rowdier than ever, but that gave him a wild, exotic look. His face had matured, grown by the experience of life and battles he had faced up until now. The suit he was wearing enhanced the image of him being a professional businessman or a lawyer (although Chrome knew better) and she was sure that if he were to associate himself in parties and social circles, there would be a long list of names of bachelorettes wanting him to be theirs.

She snorted at thought. If Hibari was that sociable than she would not need to put up with his soft growls of discontent right now, as if he was restraining himself from her very presence. _And he was the one who ordered me to sit here in the first place. _

"Herbivore." Hibari spoke up, not finding the silence to be awkward but rather a waste of time.

"Y-Yes!" She straightened her back, lone eye wide open to show that she was giving the man her fullest attention. She was not used to that position though and soon found herself to hunch again, eye drooped down and watery but still managed to keep her eye contact with him.

"Hnn." Hibari kept quiet for a moment, his gaze not leaving the other. No matter how he looked at her, she still reminded him of that accursed Rokudo Mukuro. Sure, she had actually grew her hair out (did he just noticed it now?) and gotten rid of that stench similar to Mukuro's. What got to him was the spiky outline shaped like a pineapple on top of her head and her _eye_. Not in the physical sense but Hibari looked into it deeper, recognized the yearning for her old master, her need for that man's touch and that had irked him. He too felt slightly annoyed by the way she was dressed. A wave of annoyance washed over him at the thought of how many other male herbivores had seen her in such a state and the sense to bite each individual to death.

HIbari had to raise his eyebrows. Did he really just felt _possessive _over Chrome Dokuro? Nonsense, it was just that her actions and others were against Namimori rules. That was all to it, nothing more.

"A-Ano, H-Hibari-san?"

Her voice snapped him out of his trance. Unconsciously he had been staring at her for too long. He let out another soft growl and looked away, composing himself as the girl looked at him shyly.

"...Stakeout tomorrow..." Hibari said softly.

"I'm sorry?" Chrome tilted her head in a confused manner, not comprehending what he had just said.

HIbari narrowed his eyes dangerously, irritated that she did not get the meaning behind his few words already. She was still watching him timidly and he let out a sigh of frustration.

"That covert operation regarding the Pentiti Famiglia, the other herbivore had dared to coerce me into accepting a joint operation with you."

Chrome had actually let out an incoherent sputter when she heard Hibari said the word 'coerce'. Who on earth could persuade Hibari in such a way that he would do something unwillingly?

He had caught that sound she had made of course, and let out a louder growl as she clamped her mouth shut with her hands.

"Of course it was not just the herbivore, but the bane of my life had to interfere as well. Seeing as I had nothing else to do and Tetsu had agreed to take on my _chores _at the Foundation... I was made to join you on this little herbivore trip."

He looked exhausted, Chrome thought, and a little (an understatement of the year) angry to have been forced to accept this mission with her. She still doubted the fact that there was a person on this planet that was able to force Hibari into doing things against his will, but of course she had known that her Boss was an exceptional person.

"I see..." Was all she was able to say. Well actually what else could she add to that?

As soon as the words had left her mouth she suddenly found two cold steel rods pushed against her throat roughly. Hibari had whipped out his tonfas and he looked more vicious than ever. Kusakabe coughed nervously and quietly made his way out of the car, leaving the two alone. Hibari leaned close to her face and she could see a glint of malevolence in his eyes. She was pushed back to the door and he was now right on top of her, the tonfas not leaving her any room to breathe properly.

"Listen here _puppet_. I do not appreciate being forced, or much else, burdened by this. It is clear to me that the herbivore had sent me to join you merely to _protect _you. Reason? You are just too weak. Even if he dare not say it in front of your face that much is very true. You are weak, herbivore, and I do not enjoy protecting the weak. I will follow you on this mission, but know that if you were ever caught by the enemy or in any situation that could jeopardize the mission; I will leave you to your fate, I will neither look back nor put any effort into saving you. Do I make myself clear?" He leered dangerously close, inhaling that intoxicating smell of hers that he almost loses all reason and sanity.

"Y-Yes." Chrome coughed out, her fear of the man evident as she struggled to breathe and maintain her position so as to not fall flat on the seat. He looked exceptionally scary now as he flashed his fangs at her pushing the tonfas deeper into her throat.

"And tell that damned illusionist of a master of yours that I would want to see him again. A debt in blood needs to be repaid soon, it has been due for over ten years now."

At the mention of her former master a stream of tears fell down her face as she swallowed hard and looked away from the Cloud Guardian. Unconsciously she had started crying, and she hated herself for showing more of her weak side to him. The strain on her arms was too much and she let herself go, finally laying fully on the seat and her hands covering her face, sobbing shamefully. _He knew- He knew that Mukuro-sama had left me! So how come he purposely brought that up? _

Hibari watched her quietly for a long moment, feeling slightly content that he affected her so. He withdrew his tonfas and set them away as he was still on top of her, his mind racing with so many thoughts. He watched her sob and sniffed until finally he had had enough. Pulling himself upwards, he smoothed his suit and coughed loudly.

"Enough herbivore, _sit_." He hissed, ordering her.

Chrome did not move, she was still crying and was trying hard to stop herself from shaking in fear. _He is an ally isn't he? We went through a lot of things this past ten years haven't we? Why is he treating me like this-? _She was interrupted by her thoughts as she was violently pulled up. Her hands pried open and she comes face-to-face with the skylark.

Hibari thought that she looked quite pathetic already. Her eye, nose and cheeks were red from the sudden outburst and there was a slight drool running down her lips. He let out a sigh of frustration and rummaged through his right pocket, taking out a small handkerchief.

"Here, calm down and wipe yourself with that."

Chrome hiccupped and accepted the piece of cloth, wiping her eye and blew her nose as she calmed herself down. "T-Thank you." She squeaked, surprising Hibari.

The skylark frowned and turned to the other side, knocking on the tinted glass of the window, signalling his right-hand man to enter the vehicle. He then turned his attention back to the still snivelling girl and much to his own surprise (and hers), he placed a hand on her head.

Chrome looked up with wide eye, surprised at his sudden gesture. He quickly withdrew his hand and rubbed it hastily, as if it had been soiled.

"T-Thank you." She said it again.

"Hnn." Hibari looked away, scowling at the outside view.

Silence filled the air again but this time it was much needed by both parties. Chrome had calmed down and Hibari seemed to have spoken what he wanted to say and seemed less...aggravated than he was before.

"Your address." He finally spoke up.

"H-Huh?" Chrome looked back at the man.

"The address of your home. Tetsu will drive you there." Hibari said roughly.

"O-Oh, well it's..."

* * *

_(Meanwhile at the Vongola Mansion)_

Sawada Tsunayoshi was looking out of his window of the Vongola Mansion, taking in the view of the playground close to that place. No civilian would ever think that the huge mansion improperly placed in Namimori would be the main headquarters of a large and famous mafia family. He was reminiscing of the time he took Lambo and Fuuta out to play there. Such a sweet memory, he thought warmly.

"Are you sure it was a good idea sending Hibari with her Tsuna?" A voice interrupted his thoughts.

He turned to look at his best friend and Rain Guardian, Yamamoto Takeshi. The tall man had a worried look on his face and Tsuna knew why.

"You disapprove of Hibari-san, Yamamoto?" His eyes softened, knowing exactly where his friend is going with this conversation.

Yamamoto scrunched his nose up, looking as though he was contemplating something deep. "I just don't think he's a good fit to work with Chrome. After all, the Cloud-"

"Is a loner, is he not?" Tsuna finished the sentence for him. "But isn't Chrome the same though?"

"Yeah I guess she is, isn't she?" Yamamoto let out a bark of a laugh. He was not a man that would dwell upon despair for so long. No, a smile on his face suited him more than a sullen one.

"It'll be good for both of them. I just hope that accepting Dino-san's idea wouldn't leave me on the receiving end of Hibari-san's tonfa though..." Tsuna gulped, remembering how his senior had given him that idea and Hibari's face when they told him of it. No...Tsuna definitely has to sleep with one eye open after this.

"I hope so...and Tsuna you know I'll be more than willing to go with her if Hibari doesn't-"

"You are needed elsewhere Yamamoto." Tsuna looked at him sadly. "It is an important task too and Squalo-san would raise a ruckus if you stood him off."

Yamamoto mumbled something inaudible under his breath and nodded his head glumly. The Varia had requested his aid moments after Chrome received her mission. He recalled how sad Chrome looked yesterday and he could barely control the urge to call the girl and see how she is doing. Perhaps it was the many years he had spent closely being with her (no matter how few they were) but there was a weird, unknown feeling in the pit of his stomach right now that he just could not put a finger in. What was Chrome to him but more of a friend? Maybe liken to a little sister?

"You're right Tsuna, I'm sure Hibari can take care of Chrome well." He said with a forced smile, and turned to leave the room.

Somehow, the idea of Chrome alone with Hibari gave an unsettling feeling to Yamamoto.

* * *

After a few short minutes later they arrived in front of Chrome's apartment. As the car came to a halt Chrome immediately opened it and took her basket from the front seat, bowing and thanking Kusakabe for his help, and scampered of to the other side where Hibari had already lowered his window and was glaring at the girl. She fidgeted on her feet and looked at the man nervously, afraid that he was going to threaten her again.

After a few seconds of waiting, he finally spoke up.

"I do not like weaknesses, puppet."

"O-Oh." She nodded quietly, understanding that side of him. She quieted down immediately, knowing that he was not finished.

"And I also do not like to be held back. I will see you again soon for the mission; tomorrow night I will pick you up, don't keep me waiting." He continued.

"O-Okay." Chrome felt a slight sense of dread at the thought of seeing him again so soon. She watched him again, waiting for anything else he might want to add. He was quiet, and Chrome took that as her queue to leave. She bowed politely and muttered a quick "Thank you" as she made her way into her apartment.

"Herbivore." Hibari suddenly spoke up, making Chrome's heart skip a beat (so close!).

She did not turn around but she did stop walking, waiting for his next word. Her breathing hitched as she expected more insults to barrage her.

"...Do eat more, you're rather unhealthy looking for a grass-eater."

This time her heart did skip a beat as she dropped her laundry basket again, turning around with a stunned look on her face. Hibari had already closed his window and the car was already moving, but she had not mistaken what he had just said. Her chest was pounding madly and she felt a slight throb on her forehead.

For one short moment, Chrome contemplated on whether or not she could call Hibari Kyoya an 'acquaintance'...for now.

* * *

_Eighteen year-old Nagi hated dolls. The way they would stare at her silently and would never respond to her questions irritates her to no end. How their cold limbs hurt her skin and how she got irritated by their unmoving lips. Not even a scream when she twisted their heads off. They would never give her the warmth she longed for, or the company she wished she had. That is why she loved people, who would embrace her and hold her dearly. No matter how hard she tried, she can't stop the tears that fell down as she sobbed alone in her room. _


	3. Chapter 3

_Hello there dear readers it has been awhile hasn't it? I apologize many, many times for the wait! I have been swamped with reality (as in looking for a job and such) thankfully everything has been sorted out. I am officially a law student (hurray!) and finally found some time for myself and my writing (which I love so much(. Thank you for all the reviews I received so far, they are all positively delightful. I hope this chapter would make up for the long absence and as always, reviews are welcomed and much needed. Without further ado let me allow you to read on to ~ Untainted ~  
_

* * *

**Chapter 3: a little bit of hope**

* * *

"_**C'mon Dokuro lighten up! I'm one hundred percent sure there's an EXTREME guy out there that's right for you!" Sasagawa Ryohei shouted in an attempt to cheer his friend up, causing the quiet bar to shake in his booming voice. **_

"_**B-But Mukuro-sama was special! H-How can I live without him by my side... He's always by my side~ I can't even pick the right juice to drink without him and sweets and stuff and~" Chrome slurred, the alcohol already affecting her judgment and rational thoughts. Her eye was puffy and bloodshot from crying. She was still sobbing and her hands were playing with the tenth beer bottle she had ordered (much to Ryohei's protest of her having enough). Without warning she gulped down the beer in one shot, causing the Sun Guardian to shout in a panicked voice and wrestled the bottle from her hands.**_

"_**Geez when you randomly called me out for a drink I thought we were gonna' have an EXTREME time together, now I'm not sure I'm happy you mistakenly called me instead of Kyoko..." Ryohei mumbled as he massaged his forehead tiredly. **_

"_**I'm sobby~" Chrome hiccupped, her head dropped to Ryohei's shoulder. **_

"_**Meh it's okay. Guess I should be happy to see you after so long huh? And this is our first drinking session together too! You never agreed to go drinking with me before though...waitaminute... Dokuro how old are you exactly?" **_

"_**...I got a biology test with Kyoko tomorrow..." Chrome mumbled in her sleep.**_

"_**HOLY CRAP!" **_

* * *

"...Chrome-nee, wake up..."

"Ngh..." Chrome scrunched up her face and opened her eye sleepily. She was dreaming of the past. Again. Though this time it was not a bad memory (Mukuro-sama leaving her could be considered bad) but more on the humorous side as she remembered Sasagawa-san panicking and trying to sneak her back into his family's house (He had graduated and moved out of course) without alerting Kyoko that he had made one of her best friends, an **underage **girl at that, drunk silly.

Chrome suddenly remembered someone had waked her up and slowly rose from her bed. A young man in leather jacket was squatting next to her bed, smiling sheepishly as he held out a cup of warm coffee.

"Lambo...what time is it?" Chrome croaked, noting how parched she actually was and thanked the young Bovinno as she took the cup from him.

"Uh, a little over nine in the morning I think." Lambo said as he looked around the room for a clock.

"Oh...but how _**did **_youget in?" It's not like Chrome was unhappy to see the young man but she was quite puzzled as to how he came to be here in the first place.

"Your door was unlocked." A gruff voice came from the living room.

Chrome stood up and staggered a bit (In a gentlemanly way Lambo offered his arm) as she made her way out of her bedroom. She peeked out in interest, seeing Gokudera Hayato holding a tray full of food and setting it down on an empty table. He looked up and gave Chrome a quick nod as he took off his apron (It was hers actually but she didn't mind him borrowing it) and sat down on the sofa. Gokudera grimaced a bit and pulled out what looked like clothes underneath him.

"You should really pay attention to security details Dokuro, get careless even a tiny bit and you're dead meat in the mafia world." Gokudera huffed as he smoothed out the clothing he had unearthed.

"O-Oh okay I'll remember that, thank you St- Gokudera-san." Chrome mentally chided herself for almost reverting back to her former way of speaking. Boss wouldn't have liked that if she acted like a stranger to family.

"I made some breakfast, Juudaime's orders." Gokudera muttered, scowling and blushing slightly as though saying _'__**I didn't really make this for you, it's just on Juudaime's order so don't get the wrong idea.**_'

"T-Thank you, that's very kind of you Gokudera-san." Though Chrome had a nagging feeling Kyoko had given _'her talk' _to Boss that she mentioned the previous day.

His face relaxed a bit as he gave a tiny smile to her. It quickly disappears though, and was replaced by the usual trademark frown Gokudera was so famous for. "W-Well I agree with Juudaime that the Guardians health conditions are important. After all you'd do a sloppy job protecting Juudaime if you're always sick Dokuro." He harrumphed.

"I-I see, I'll do a better job protecting him from today onwards then... Then what is..." Her voice trailed off as she looked back into her bedroom where Lambo was snoring away on her bed.

"Tch, that stupid cow came along with the excuse that he was worried about you ever since the meeting." Gokudera paused for a moment before muttering under his breath, "Reality is he just wants to skip paperwork." Though he said that, Gokudera spared a glance at the woman again before nodding absentmindedly, as if ascertaining that she was, indeed, well.

"So you two are here because you are concerned about my wellbeing? Thank you again Gokudera-san... That is quite sweet of you." Chrome bowed with a smile on her face.

Gokudera flustered, his mouth opened and closed repeatedly as he looked at Chrome. He tugged on the cloth he was holding as if for support. "W-What? N-No! That stupid cow was worried, not me! I-I'm just here on Juudaime's order, who'd be _**worried **_about you?!" He spewed.

"Still... thank you for being here Gokudera-san." She had not raised her head as she spoke, determined to show her affection for the Storm Guardian. She knew that deep down all her Family members cared for one another (there are no exceptions, even Mukuro-sama and Hibari-san), and after all these years she had picked up on how Gokudera would suddenly fluster and spew out insults if his true motives were uncovered (those that shows he's actually a kind and caring person that is).

He looked at her dumbfounded before sighing. "Tch fine... Think what you want I don't care..." He said begrudgingly and he leaned on the sofa mumbling about Boss and strangling Lambo later.

Chrome finally raised her head and looked at the Storm Guardian happily. He was still fussing about what she said of course, and she thought it was somewhat cute. _**'He really is just shy that way, I need to remember to be tactful next time if he ever does something nice. Hehe, look at him still fidgeting and gripping that..." **_Chrome's smile dropped as she realized to her horror what she had missed.

Gokudera was oblivious however, as he snorted and opened a new topic to speak of. "Hmph, well Juudaime sent me here today to give you those gadgets." Gokudera motioned his head to the entrance where a huge duffel bag laid next to the umbrella stand. "Giannini sent us those yesterday. They're for your mission tonight. Ask Hibari, he'll know what to do with them."

"O-Oh right... Umm..." Chrome fidgeted in front of her bedroom door. Gokudera did not notice as he went on to lecture her on security measures.

"I know that here in Namimori we are safe because of Juudaime's protection but you can never be too careful. An enemy might slip under our radar and what if their target was you? Of course that is just a '_what if' _scenario because there's no way anyone can get by Juudaime. He's the perfect boss and the strongest man in the world-" Gokudera went on praising his boss, a satisfied smile plastered on his face as he did so.

"A-Ano Gokudera-san!" Chrome raised her voice, face beet red and hands clutched in front of her chest.

"W-What?" Gokudera looked surprised, his eyes focused on the girl. _**"If she so much as thank me again for being nice I swear that stupid cow isn't the only one I'm going to choke after this."**_

"... You're holding my... Umm..." Chrome suddenly found the floor to be the most interesting thing to look at. She couldn't say it so she just pointed at Gokudera's hands.

Gokudera scowled as he looked at Chrome and then to his hands, remembering that he was still holding whatever cloth it is that he had pulled out before. His scowl immediately disappears though, and was replaced with a blank look as he realized what it was.

"That's my underwear Gokudera-san..." Chrome was flushing a brilliant colour of red and she still refused to look at Gokudera (out of embarrassment).

"W-Wha... WHAT THE HELL!" Gokudera roared, causing Lambo to stir in his sleep.

XXX

Chrome stood in front of her doorway as she bid the other two Guardians goodbye. She was still blushing and so was Gokudera. Lambo was curious as to why and concluded that they had had intercourse during the time he was napping (Which caused Gokudera-san to choke the life out of the poor boy). She had never seen a person's face could actually turn blue that way.

"G-Good bye Lambo... Gokudera-san..." She squeaked at Gokudera's name, her eye immediately looked downwards and pressing her fingers together to reduce the amount of shame she was feeling.

"Bye Chrome-nee, next time I'll bring I-Pin with me and not Ahodera! Promise!" Lambo kissed Chrome's hand lightly (Chrome blushed even brighter) but he still received a whack at the back of his head from that old insulting nickname by Gokudera.

Gokudera was still scowling as he looked at Chrome but the blush on his face was growing too as he remembered what happened. He couldn't look at the woman straight in the face any more, not after **that**. "Y-Yeah, good bye."

Lambo looked at Chrome and then to Gokudera curiously before making a very dirty smirk. "_Oho~ _so something _did _happen while I was sleeping. Gokudera-san you dog you!" Lambo wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as he gave the thumbs up to the older man. This caused Chrome to gasp and look away while Gokudera's eyebrow twitched dangerously, his hand already on his box weapon ready to be used on the annoying cow.

"Now now, I won't say anything to the others..." Lambo raised his hands up as he retreated back towards the stairway but he wasn't finished, not before he says, "Oh but remember to always use protection you two or we'll have to prepare a Vongola-style baby shower in the near future!"

That did it. Gokudera snapped and took out his dynamites. A panicked Chrome immediately stopped him as Lambo cackled all the way downstairs, causing Gokudera to shout a string of curses and foul words. Chrome could imagine the amount of damage Gokudera would wreak the moment they get back to Vongola Mansion.

"G-Gokudera-san you really shouldn't react so violently or he'll get more wrong ideas..." Chrome mumbled as she patted the man's back soothingly, as if to calm a rebellious child.

"I'll kill him, I seriously will..." Gokudera mumbled vehemently as he lit a cigarette and inhaled. That sort of calmed him down as he took a few more dregs, finally able to muster enough courage to look at Chrome's **head** (Her hair to be more precise). "Don't worry I won't let him spread any of those stupid rumours to Juudaime or the others." He assured her.

"O-Oh it's okay, thank you for doing that." Chrome thanked him although she really couldn't care less if anyone heard that gossip. She reasoned that if she herself had heard that gossip firsthand without a clue she would have dismissed it and said that 'she wasn't that sociable' or 'Gokudera-san could do better than her'. More so that if the rumour was spreading through Lambo who had little credibility in his stories (She remembered the days he used to call himself Lambo-sama).

"Hmph well just remember what I said about locking your door and eat your breakfast before it gets cold. I put in a lot of effort in that y'know...B-Because Juudaime asked me to!" Gokudera finished in a panicked tone as he realized what he was saying.

"I understand Gokudera-san." Chrome gave him a shy smile, being tactful of his kindness this time.

Gokudera looked at her inquisitively, as if pondering on something before sighing. "...Hayato."

"Pardon?" Chrome tilted her head slightly, puzzled at what he just said.

He sighed again as he ruffled his hair uncomfortably. "Just call me Hayato, it's disturbing how you kept calling me _Gokudera-san _without any real respect for it." He sniffed.

"O-Oh." Chrome blushed again (Really she was blushing a lot this morning).

"N-Not because we're close or anything, don't get the wrong idea woman! It's just because Juudaime told me to treat you better and that I _at least _need to get to know the _**real **_you... Whatever he means by that but I'm sure Juudaime has a splendid reason as to why. S-So I thought a good way to start is by you calling me by first name and I'll call yours." Gokudera inhaled deeply, his face twisted in a disturbing manner as if readying himself for a very brutal battle. "C-_Chrome_." His face really looked like he didn't want to say that but he made a satisfied grin afterwards, as if congratulating himself for accomplishing a very difficult mission.

However, Chrome was touched. It was the first time in her life (Not really, but she could remember so few) someone made that much effort for her. It might be meagre to others but Chrome thought that Gokudera had made a very big step towards getting to know her, and she to him by simply saying, "Thank you... Hayato-san." She smiled. In the end she still felt the honorific was necessary but it was a big step for her too.

Gokudera blinked several times, trying to process the way she said his name, and smiled. A genuine smile.

XXX

Hibari Kyoya was quiet throughout the day. Kusakabe was used to it, the silence that enveloped the office usually accompanies Kyoya whenever he is working (Except when his work involves desecrating enemies). The difference now which Kusakabe noticed was the 'Hnn' and 'Tch' sounds Kyoya kept making between long pauses. He did not question it nor is at liberty to ask his cousin/boss what matter is currently bugging the skylark. So he settled with leaving the man alone to attend to his duties as a faithful right-hand man (Which encompasses cleaning Hibari's private room and training hall).

Hibari heard the soft 'thump' sound when Kusakabe slid the door close but his eyes were still on the document he was currently reading. Apparently the damned illusionist had failed to report in the previous meeting of exactly how many of the enemy Family members had infiltrated in. The thought of strangers roaming around and tarnishing his beloved Namimori made him very angry indeed. He would definitely enjoy bashing their skulls and relishing the taste of their bloods on his tonfas very soon.

His train of thought was cut off when he heard someone knocking on the paper door and as the said person slid the door open, Hibari's killing intent intensified.

"Kyoya I came to visit you today~!" Dino stated the obvious as he hummed happily. His smile did not leave his face even as Hibari had threw his Box Weapon, Roll, at him (to which Dino laughed merrily and dodged, leaving the hedgehog stuck on the paper door). "Calm down, can't we at least have one day where we act as civilized adults and greet each other normally?"

Dino laughed again as Hibari's eyes twitched dangerously. The Cavellone boss made to seat down next to Hibari but tripped over his own feet and fell down face first on Hibari's table, causing his stack of papers to scatter around the room (And Dino yelling in pain as he rubbed his nose).

It took every bit of patience the years had taught Hibari to resist biting the idiotic man to death. He watched as the bane of his life mumbled an apology and collected the scattered paper, only to slip and crash onto the wall instead. He could not watch this idiocy any longer. "Have you come here just to give me more woe or do you actually have something of importance? If it's the latter then please leave, I am quite busy as you can see." He had known for a long time now that Dino was quite useless without his men around (For once Hibari actually cursed that he did not bring along Romario).

Dino looked downcast at Hibari's words. "Aww come on Kyoya, can't a teacher visit his favourite student at random?" Hibari made a noncommittal growl which meant 'no' and Dino sighed. "Okay, okay, I actually _**do **_have a reason to visit you today." Dino smoothed his suit and sat down in front of Hibari.

"Oh?" Hibari perked up a bit and watched the man with slight interest.

Dino looked quite serious for a moment, his eyes lit up and, "I found a date for you tonight."

Immediately a pair of tonfa batons came crashing down on the Cavalonne's head, but was deflected at the last minute. Hibari was growling loudly, his eyes glinting murderously at the Bucking Horse. "...Any last words before I bite you to death?"

"Wait, wait Kyoya! I'm serious!" Dino waved his hands fearfully and sidestepped a swing that could have dislocated his shoulder. "Look, when was the last time you went on a date...never mind you _**never **_had one-" He dodged a jab.

"Kyoya-" Dino leaned backwards as Hibari's tonfa swipes empty air.

"You-" Blocked a headbutt.

"One-" Dino grabbed both of Hibari's hands before he could swing.

"UNSOCIABLE BASTARD!" Dino bellowed. He huffed and let out a sigh of relief as Hibari lowered his hands. Without warning Hibari's hand quickly shifted upwards, hitting Dino square in the jaw.

"OW WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" Dino clutched his mouth painfully as Hibari walked back to his desk.

"For calling me an unsociable bastard." Hibari said simply and sat back down, feeling visibly annoyed by the blonde.

"Well you are but man... You don't have to give a cheap shot like that." Dino grumbled and sat down cross-legged as well.

"Hnn." Hibari mumbled as he continued reading the document he had previously set aside. He thought that ignoring the man now was the best course of action until he leaves.

"You know I'm right Kyoya." Dino said seriously.

"...Regardless of your idiotic set-up, I don't have the time for a worthless herbivore gathering." Hibari stated, his eyes not leaving the paper.

"Aww why can't you give yourself the night off and meet this woman? I'm telling you she's extremely beautiful and-"

"Pentiti Famiglia. Namimori. Tonight." Hibari said monotonously, but he was smirking as he said that.

Dino's mouth dropped to make an 'o' shape and he hit himself several times on the head. "Crap, stupid, stupid! I totally forgot about your mission tonight!"

"It was on your advice that the herbivore so daringly put me with that puppet." Hibari growled.

However Dino reacted in a very different way than Hibari imagined. The Cavallone looked sad then quickly smiled in the most annoying way Hibari thought possible.

"Oh yeah, you're supposed to guard Chrome-chan tonight~" He said in a sing-song voice, nodding his head as if he understood something important.

"...I don't like how you're saying that." Hibari drew out his tonfas again, preparing to bite the man o death.

"I didn't say anything wrong did I? Tsuna specifically asked you to protect her in case of danger right?" Dino was still grinning, further fuelling Hibari's anger.

"He _begged _me to _accompany _that woman but I will say it now that my only purpose is to bite those that are disturbing the peace of Namimori." Hibari stated.

"Of course, of course, whatever makes you happy." Dino held his hands out to show he meant nothing of it. That still did not make Hibari any happier though (If he ever was a happy man to begin with).

"I'll warn you that if you try anything funny as to set me up with that woman..._**that woman **_of all people, you and the herbivore will-"

"No, no, I won't try anything _**funny**_." Dino shook his head with smile still plastered on his face.

Hibari studied him for a while, scowling as Dino smiled happily back at him. He rubbed his temple and sighed, thinking that it was no use to try and talk to the Cavallone (Nothing will get through that thick skull of his anyways). Dino said nothing more and simply sat there smiling at him. Hibari took it as a notion to ignore the blonde and resumed reading. The peacefulness was short-lived however, when Dino opened his mouth yet again to say something.

"Kyoya..." He began.

"...Hnn, what is it?" The paper was crumpling underneath his grip.

"Wear a clean suit tonight yeah?"

And Dino was immediately tossed out of the room through the paper door.

XXX

The night came fast and as Chrome fixed her hair and checked her appearance in the mirror, she felt a mixture of anxiety and excitement at the prospect of her current mission. She frowned as she noticed her hair has split ends, noting that she needs to visit a salon sometime this week (Maybe Kyoko or Haru would know a decent one). She then twirled around to inspect her dress, which was a simple dark lavender colour and the length was just above her knees (She blushed as she found out she was revealing a bit too much skin around her thighs and cleavage).

Chrome stared at the mirror a bit longer, still couldn't believe that she was paying attention to what she was _wearing_. She never did that, no sir. For all her previous missions it was a simple biker's vest and mini-shorts, easy to move in and out of but those days were different. In those days she would be in shady bars, camouflaging herself to the wall and listening in on drunken, unsuspecting enemies for info. Oh yes, Chrome Dokuro was a girl used to grimy places and more than once did she have to fend off lecherous drunkards (Who sometimes blew her cover) and there was that one time she was mistaken for a lesbian hooker. Tonight though, she has to be present in a fancy restaurant.

According to the Vongola information network, their suspects were spotted in the more prosperous side of Namimori and (Chrome still has no idea till now how they knew) that they had table reservations for a private restaurant there.

So here she was, wearing a bit of make-up and making sure her hair stayed in place. The butterflies in her stomach haven't left and she wanted to make sure she won't embarrass Hibari too much for she was socially inept. Picturing those ritzy, snobby couples in one of those snazzy restaurants makes her shudder. She silently hoped Hibari wasn't one of those types. Chrome glanced at herself once again and wondered if Hibari would like what he sees.

Chrome paused. _Had I just thought of Hibari-san in that kind of way? _Chrome blushed profusely, shaking her head as she pinched her cheeks softly. _I'd have better luck trying to impress an angry sea lion. At best he'd compliment how good the dress looks, just NOT me. _That train of thought was better. It might be a bit pessimistic but that goes in line with one of Chrome's motto. _Expect nothing. _

She smiled wryly at that. The line might be a bit unimpressive but it had gotten Chrome to where she was today. She was a lot different than when she was Nagi. To expect means to want, which then leads to hope, which Chrome had learnt after all these years that hope doesn't exist. If she wants something there are variables to consider, obstacles to overcome, and depending on the hardship she has to go through for that little piece of 'hope', Chrome would prefer to step back and give up on that happiness altogether.

_Sad really, _was what she thought at how bitter her outlook on life is. She walked downstairs absentmindedly (Though she remembered to lock her doors as per Hayato-san's advice) and shivered slightly at the cold night air. Her thoughts did not leave her as she felt there was nothing she could do with how her life has turned out. Chrome then shook her head, this was not the time to be depressed after all. She was going to do what she does best, and she needed to be prepared both mentally and physically.

So why was it so hard to accept when a limo stopped in front of her and the man who stepped outside was the most breathtaking scene she had ever seen. He was wearing a different suit, she could tell. Her eye travelled from top to bottom, noticing he had tried to domesticate his wild hair and the cologne that drifted to her, it made her giddy somehow as the smell tickled her nostrils. Chrome couldn't help but smile as Hibari Kyoya frowns at her (The usual) but gave a curt nod. She felt at ease as she made her way into the limo, her eye not leaving the skylark as he sniffed and looked back at her impassively. Could she really hold on to this little piece of happiness?

XXX

Hibari Kyoya kept his usual silence but deep inside he was feeling a very unfamiliar emotion, one that disturbs and possibly annoy him. He was impressed. It was true that their mission is to be conducted in an expensive Italian serving restaurant, having reserved a table right next to their target in the private section. He had grudgingly agreed to the Cavallone's idea of wearing a new suit (He had convinced himself it was because his previous one needs to be washed) and after a few rooms destroyed in his mansion, that man had also succeeded in convincing him to tidy his hair.

Kyoya had growled at that, he had also made a point to bite a certain herbivore to death after tonight's even. However despite all the tears and blood that have been shed (Mostly from the Bucking Horse), what surprised him most was not how he had dressed up for this miniscule, unimportant event (The dinner and date plan was fake of course, they're just collecting intel) but how _**she **_looked.

He would never admit it, no. He is Hibari Kyoya, too proud, too stubborn (He had acknowledged that part of himself) to admit something so herbivore-like. Despite that though, he couldn't help but admit silently that she looked _**slightly **_stunning tonight.

Her pale skin illuminates even in the darkness of the car, her lone lilac eye twinkling and her soft, pink lips curving into a smile that would melt simply any men that was lucky to be given that privelege. Somehow she was radiating a moderate amount of courage that was usually non-existent.

They were quiet throughout the whole ride, neither made any sound or unnecessary conversation (Except when she gave him a bag saying it was devices from someone named Gianinni).

As they arrived at their destination Kyoya made the first move to exit the vehicle and out of politeness (To an extent) he opened the other door for the illusionist woman.

She softly thanked him as he closed the door behind, adjusting his tie and walking beside her. As Kyoya began to get used to her presence he was surprised once again when she took his hand, wrapping her thin fingers around his. He raised his eyebrows and looked at her, to which she returned his gaze and gave a shy smile.

_Hnn, so we have to make it look good huh? _Kyoya walked closer to her, and was satisfied that him invading her private space was causing her to blush.

Whilst they were escorted to their seat by a waiter, Kyoya's eyes were scanning around for possible threats. As they were seated (He could see that woman thanking the youthful waiter) Kyoya smirked smugly as he immediately pinpointed their target.

Three men in brown suits were speaking in a distinct, foreign language which he recognized as Italian. Their facial features did not hide the experience behind their years and Kyoya knew they were not to be trifled with. He let out a low '_Hnn_' and suppresed his urge to beat the men down senseless. It would be an amateur mistake to do so and besides, he saw that the woman was already doing her job.

He watched as she nods to herself and sometimes frown, understanding what the men were saying. She took notes, scribbling furiously and Kyoya thought to reprimand her, it would be disastrous if their targets noticed, but then stoppped. She was not writing what they were saying, but was rewriting what courses were in the menu.

He frowned at that and as if knowing he was looking at her, the woman looked up and smiled that smile she was so good at at him.

"Sorry...it helps me concentrate." Was all she said and resumed writing.

Kyoya merely stayed quiet, suddenly he was highly interested in her working ways. He had never seen anyone collected information like this, and sometimes he saw her let out a tiny amount of breath she had been holding in.

The waiter came by shortly and he ordered for the both of them seeing as she was deeply engrossed in whatever it is the men was talking about. After the waiter had left did she finally let out a sigh, mumbling something incoherently and pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Done?" Kyoya said quietly.

She jerked a bit in a her seat and looked at him in surprise, then her expression changed to a blush and she let out a small nervous laugh, as if she had forgotten he was there at all.

That annoyed him too and he showed it by crossing his arms and glared at her. The woman had the gall to ignore him and she will pay dearly for it.

"Sorry..." She mumbled apologetically, twiddling her fingers together.

..._Or maybe not_. Kyoya let out a sigh. "Got the information we need?" She better had, though he doubt how much useful intel she got from a mere fifteen minutes of eavesdropping.

"A lot actually but I need more time." She stated, and turned the pages of the scribbles she had made. "They wasted no time in this. I definitely heard them mention our family, and something about revenge...but I can't say for sure until they've finished eating." She said quietly, nudging her head in their direction.

Kyoya could see them enjoying their meals. He snorted and merely gave her a nod. They won't be speaking of anything important any time soon. Voices tend to rise unexpectedly during a hearty meal and they'd want to avoid that.

As their drinks (Just mineral water) arrived he immediately gulped down a huge amount of water (He had after all, wasted enough energy in watching her twitch). He heard a soft giggle and narrowed his eyes at the source.

Chrome turned a bright shade of red, noticing that Hibari was not amused by her giggling. She quickly opened her mouth to apologize again but he interrupted her by shrugging, which she took as him saying _'it's okay' _though she was sure coming from him it sounds a lot more menacing.

She had only just noticed at how quiet it actually was at their table, with all the other couples and groups deep in their own conversations and banter. Was she the cause of the awkward silent between them? She had after all ignored him for the past twenty minutes or so.

Chrome squirmed in her seat, trying to find a suitable topic to talk about. Maybe she ought to ask about the weather... No even in her mind it sounds like a dumb topic. _Something subtle to break the ice..._

"So Hibari-san... How was your day?" She bravely attempted. Maybe he'd just laugh at her question, that'd make her feel better...

"Had better ones." He replied.

That surprised Chrome, making her heartbeat pace quickens. She had not expected an answer but he did. As the waiter served their main course, her brain was constantly whacking itself to elaborate on that topic. _Don't let it die down, don't let it die down..._

"Oh...how so?"

Her answer was a shrug as he quietly chew on his pasta. His eyes were on his meal and she felt that an any other form of reply after that point would be a miracle.

"Tha Cavallone paid a visit."

Miracle indeed. Chrome stared at him in awe which he caught. His gaze burns into hers and she looked away shyly.

"...What?" He frowned.

"Oh nothing!" She quickly recompose herself. "So I take it that Dino-san is well?" She said with a quick smile.

"He is annoying. It is no question that he is indeed the bane of my life but what is with asking about him that concerns you?" He suddenly asked, a tinge of irritation in his voice.

"N-Nothing at all! I'm just curious..." Chrome answered frantically. She wiped a few drops of sweat off her forehead and continued asking the skylark a few other random questions. They were getting somewhere at least, as the pattern continues; Chrome would ask the questions while Hibari answers unenergetically.

At one point of their conversation Hibari had smirked. _**Smirked**_ at her. Not an evil one or the sarcastic one she was used to but just a normal smirk. She blushed again, unable to control what she was feeling when she looked at him.

"You're blushing a lot today." His smirk was still there.

"W-Well it's because-"

"Because...?"

"B-Because...!"

"Kufufu~ is this seat taken?"

That voice. Chrome stopped thinking. Her heart pounding like crazy. _Why was he here? _Chrome could see in front of her Hibari had already risen from his seat, his tonfas out and his face showing ferocity of a different kind. She turned to see a familiar face that made her heart ache.

"...Mukuro-sama..."

Rokudo Mukuro smiled. His hand touched her shoulder and he smiled even wider as she shuddered from his touch.

"It's been awhile, my little Chrome."

* * *

**Perhaps in her sleep she had dreamt of him. A different man than Mukuro. A man she could give her all, body and soul, without worry. Without hesitation. Without rational thought...**

**Maybe she had too much to drink that night, after all it was her first time drinking that much with Sasagawa-san... All she remembered after that was a vivid image of an angry Kyoko and a busted Ryohei.**


End file.
